A quick and easy fajita chicken rice bowl recipe with chicken breast, bell pepper, onion, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, and a creamy cilantro sauce. This recipe makes 2-3 servings.

We’re big on rice bowls for weeknight dinners. They’re great for using leftover proteins and vegetables from client photoshoots I’ve had throughout the week, and are easily customizable to fit your taste! There’s something super comforting about a bowl full of protein and fresh ingredients, and this fajita chicken rice bowl recipe is designed with all of that in mind. It’s a quick, easy, and reliable go-to recipe for busy weeknights, or a quick weekend meal.

I developed this recipe with ingredients that are both nutritious and easy to find, so these bowls provide a little more nutrition than typical chicken fajitas. Rather than the usual sour cream, guacamole, and shredded cheese topping situation – I added black beans, avocado, and a creamy Greek yogurt-based cilantro sauce to drizzle over the bowls.

You’ll find step-by-step instructions for making these bowls further down in this blog post, as well as tips and tricks to make sure you’re successful when making them for yourself. This small batch recipe makes 2-3 servings, but you could absolutely multiply it and eat the leftovers throughout the week!

Ingredients

For the Chicken + Fajita Vegetables:

2 tbsp. Avocado Oil or Olive Oil, divided
8 oz. Chicken Breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
2 cups sliced Bell Pepper (any color)
1 cup roughly chopped Onion (yellow or white, cut into bite-sized pieces)

For the Rice Bowl + Toppings:

2 cups Cooked Rice (white or brown rice)
1 cup canned Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 fresh Avocado, sliced or diced
Lime Wedges, for squeezing over the bowls 🙂

For the Cilantro Lime Sauce:

1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
1/2 (packed) cup Cilantro, thick stems removed
1 tbsp. good quality Mayonnaise (I love Duke’s)
2 tsp. fresh Lime Juice
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, plus more to taste

Ingredient Notes and FAQs

Chicken Breast

One standard boneless, skinless chicken breast is typically 8-10 oz., and anything within that range is perfect for this recipe. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but slice them into strips or cut them into bite-sized pieces before seasoning, too.

Bell Peppers

You can truly use whatever bell peppers you have on hand or whatever colors you prefer. I used one small red bell pepper and one small yellow bell pepper for these photos, but you can just use one large bell pepper of any color instead

Onion

White onion, yellow onion, or red onion will all work for this recipe. Red onion is slightly sweeter than yellow or white onion, which would be delicious in these rice bowls. Just use what you have on hand!

Rice

I’m personally a huge fan of Jasmine rice for rice bowls. It seems easier to cook (for me), and is firm yet fluffy. I always cook one cup of rice with a healthy pinch of salt and a tablespoon of butter; adding a little flavor can totally change your rice bowl game, IMO. Use your favorite rice, or if you’re looking to make this a low-carb situation, just serve everything on top of shredded lettuce to make a salad instead!

Creamy Cilantro Sauce

Because this sauce requires extra ingredients and effort, don’t feel obligated to make it if you’re just not feeling it. Instead, your favorite salsa (salsa verde would be really great, too), or a creamy Southwestern dressing will work perfectly. Or sour cream if you’re not into sauces.

Hopefully some of the following tips and tricks can help you make these bowls successfully, but if you have any other questions, feel free to email me anytime! 🙂

A woman's hand holding a spoon of sauce over a chicken fajita rice bowl. Another chicken fajita rice bowl sits next to it.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Swap the Chicken: Ground chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, or shrimp can all be used in place of the cubed chicken breast. Just be mindful that whatever you use, it cooks through properly.
Make it Spicy: Add 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend, cook fresh jalapeño with the bell peppers, or add spicy salsa or hot sauce to the bowls before serving!
Add some Greens: Shredded romaine lettuce (or your favorite salad greens) is a great addition to these fajita bowls if you have some that needs to be used.
Make it Vegetarian: Omit the chicken, cook the vegetables according to the directions, then toss in a can (15 oz.) of drained black beans with the veggies to warm them through before serving.
Add Flavor to the Rice: There are a couple of ways to do this: I always add about a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of butter to the rice before bringing it to a boil. You can also boil the rice in low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (rather than water) for more flavor! And for this particular recipe, you can mix some fresh cilantro into the rice before serving. (I usually do 1-2 tablespoons per cup of rice.)
Customize your Toppings: I love the simple ones used in this recipe (sliced avocado, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro sauce), but you can totally use guacamole, pico de gallo, pickled onions, green onions, cilantro, shredded cheese (like Cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend), cotija or feta cheese, salsa, or whatever sounds good! I also love to squeeze fresh lime wedges over the bowls before serving.

A ceramic bowl full of rice, shredded chicken, peppers, black beans, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a spoon. A small bowl of creamy cilantro sauce sits nearby.

Directions

How to Make Fajita Chicken Rice Bowls

Step One: Make the Cilantro Lime Sauce. Combine the Greek yogurt, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and salt in a mini food processor. Blend for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is smooth. Taste and season with more salt or lime juice if needed, then transfer to a bowl and set aside until ready to serve.

A mini food processor full of ingredients to make a creamy cilantro lime sauce.

A mini food processor full of jalapeno ranch sauce.

Step Two: Prep the Chicken and Vegetables. Cut the chicken and onion into bite-sized pieces, then slice the peppers into thin strips. (Discard the seeds and membranes of the peppers). Set the chicken aside, separate from the veggies.

Step Three: Cook the Bell Peppers and Onion. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced bell peppers, chopped onions, and a healthy pinch of salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the veggies are softened and slightly charred, then push the veggies to one side of the pan.

A skillet full of sliced bell peppers and chopped white onion.

A pair of tongs pushing cooked peppers and onions to the side of a skillet.

Step Four: Add the Chicken and Seasonings to the Pan. Add the remaining oil to the empty side of the pan, followed by the cubed chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and salt.

A woman's hand holding a small bowl of seasonings over a skillet full of peppers and onions.

Seasoned chicken, peppers, and onions in a large skillet.

Step Five: Cook the Chicken and Vegetables Together. Use tongs to toss the chicken and seasonings into the cooked peppers and onions. Cook everything for 7-8 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over so they brown evenly on all sides, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F and the veggies are a little more charred. Turn the heat off from underneath the pan.

Step Six: Build the Fajita Chicken Bowls. Spoon one cup of cooked rice into each bowl. Divide the fajita chicken and vegetable mixture between the bowls, followed by the black beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and creamy cilantro lime sauce.

Make this Fajita Chicken Bowl Recipe Yours!

Ways to Customize these Bowls: Make cilantro rice by stirring 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro into each cup of rice before serving. For additional topping ideas, you can add roasted corn, guacamole, pico de gallo, pickled onions, green onions, cilantro, shredded cheese (like Cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend), cotija or feta cheese, red salsa, salsa verde or whatever sounds good! I also love to squeeze fresh lime wedges over the bowls before serving.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Store the sauce separately if you can, then drizzle it onto the bowls after they are reheated.

Reheating: I honestly reheat these in a fried rice kind of way, because everything eventually gets mixed together anyway. For this method, reheat the rice, chicken, peppers, and onions together in a small nonstick pan over low heat until warmed through. Divide between warm bowls and add your desired toppings. To Reheat the Rice and Veggies Separately, place the rice in a microwave safe bowl, add a teaspoon of water, then cover the bowl with a wet paper towel. Reheat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until hot. Reheat the chicken and vegetables in a small nonstick pan over low heat until warmed through. Build the rice bowls and add your desired toppings.

More Small Batch Rice Bowl Recipes

What to Serve with these Rice Bowls

Margarita Pairings

To increase the amount you want to make in the recipe card, there is a little slider bar near the “servings” area on the recipe card if you’re on a desktop, or if you’re on your phone, touch the number of servings on the recipe card (it will be a number, and colored dark red). You can adjust the slider bar that way instead of doing the calculations on your own! 🙂

If you make these Chicken Fajita Bowls and love them, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share it on Instagram and tag me, or use the hashtag #aflavorjournal so I can see it! If you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make it, send me an email so I can help out.

xx Sara